Chapter 34
The Promises We Keep

"Where am I...?"

Joseph found himself laying next to a wall inside some sort of underground system."That Spatial Mage brought me here. So that was their plan after all. Mister wasn't counting on beating me so he removed me from the battlefield. Smart. But so annoying!" Joseph began stomping on the ground with a hiss before one of his legs cracked, nearly causing him to fall on the ground."Oh, right. I should probably try to regenerate. I guess it was a bad idea to fight with only one arm."

Joseph recalled his Brand, his body going back to flesh and bones. He immediately collapsed due to the injuries his puppet body had sustained and transferred to his human body."Time to heal..."


"Where you claim victory, huh?" Mary rubbed the nape of her neck, scoffing."You sure like to say that phrase a lot. Also, you're out here calling me a killer, saying I took that little girl's parents from her? I saved her, you know. She's better off without those two if you ask me."

"What are you talking about?" Raiden demanded, earning a boisterous laugh from Mary."What's so damn funny?!"

"So you don't know yet, huh? That's fine. But Raiden, you're a clear case of a pot calling the kettle black. Do they know, by the way?" She glanced over his shoulder at Gauche, Charmy, and Grey."That you and I are alike? That you reek of blood."

Raiden perked up at that, not daring to look back at his comrades.

"That's a lie!" Grey was quick to protest."H-h-he wouldn't do something like that!"

"Actually..." Gauche cut her off, glaring at Raiden's back."He did. Raiden said he had to kill someone to protect those dear to him. Isn't that right?"

"Right..." Raiden trailed off, his gaze lowering slightly."I didn't want to do it. But I had no choice. I had-"

"You had to. That's how people justify themselves. "I'm doing it for the sake of the world!" "It's for a greater good!" "They are just evil and I'm just!" Stuff like that. I imagine you can identify with more than one. People fight for their own reasons. For what they believe in and try to enforce that on other people's beliefs. Just like you and I are doing."

"You're wrong!" Grey didn't miss a beat to refute her."Raiden is not like that! If he did what he did, he did it for his family! Right, Raiden? I...I accidentally took a peek at your journal the other day..."

"How do you accidentally do that...?" Charmy deadpanned in suspicion.

"Wait..." Raiden felt his blood run cold, slowly turning to Grey."You...read my journal...?"

"No! I just...took a look at the first page. At the drawing of you with your family. You did it for them, right? Everything you do is for them. You're not just fighting for us right now, you're also fighting for them."

"For them..." Raiden breathed, newfound confidence pumping through his veins."Yeah. I'd do anything for them. And for that reason..." He turned back to Mary, pointing one of his swords at her."I can't lose to you."

"Heh. Fine then. I guess I have to remind you just what it means to fight against me." Mary grabbed the ax laying on the floor, lifting it."Come on then."

With a snarl, Raiden lunged at Mary, his Grimoire flipping through its pages."Inferno Magic: Dark Hollow!"

With a smirk, Mary splayed her arms out as if welcoming Raiden to her. She sidestepped to evade the first strike, readying her ax above her head, and swung down. Raiden rose his arm, blocking with his blade but due to the awkward position, he had just a second to act before she dislocated his shoulder and bashed his head in. He used this opportunity to go for a second swing, aiming at her neck to decapitate her but she easily took a step back, kicking Raiden's hand and prompting him to drop his weapon.

Both fighters grabbed each other's weapons, Raiden with one blade and the ax and Mary with one of his blades.

'Can't dual wield with this thing.' Raiden sheathed his remaining blade, grabbing at the ax with both hands.

'It's heavy.' Mary moved his blade around with fascination.'No wonder his strikes are that strong. These swords pack a helluva punch.'

They exchanged looks, taking a second to seize each other up before resuming their fight. Mary took the initiative and went for a few thrusts, trying to break Raiden's defenses. The raven-haired teen was forced to block the thrust with the handle of the ax, figuring out Mary's speed and the intervals between each strike.

Once he figured them out, he used his magic to enhance his speed, mimicking her sidestepping but instead of swinging down, he was prepared to swing to the side. Mary's eyes widened, finding the edge of the ax coming closer and closer to her head. Using his blade, she stopped the attack but wasn't able to properly block it, sending her skidding away before screeching to a halt.

"Colored me impressed. I thought you wouldn't know how to use that thing." Mary chuckled upon noticing her arms trembling after the blow.

"I specialize in attack. Obviously, I can use more than my swords. You aren't half bad with one of them. You're stronger than you look for sure."

"Thank you. I'll take a compliment from you any day. Regardless, this isn't my style. I prefer daggers or in my case, my mirror shards."

"Why do you carry this thing around then?"

"Thought it looked cool. It's made of silver. That and I used to use it back in my shop. Good times. Here." Mary tossed him the blade back, receiving her ax in return. She threw it on the ground, going for two shards from her Grimoire to even up with Raiden's dual wielding.

"Let's continue this horror show."

"Gauche, do you think...he can win?" Grey asked as she held onto Charmy and had him leaning against her to support himself.

"Can't say yet..." Gauche had his eyes glued to the fight."Raiden's gotten stronger than before. Don't know how he does it, but he's a better match to her than we were. That or maybe she's just toying with him."

"Let's hope that's not the case," Charmy muttered, frowning in concern.

Raiden ignited his blades with inferno, charging at Mary without fear. He began his barrage of attacks, forcing her on the defensive. She continuously blocked his strikes with her shards, making Raiden wonder how tough were her shards since they were the size of mere daggers but looked fragile. He could tell she was no expert when it came to sword skills in combat. If he had to guess, she wasn't used to her victims fighting back. But one thing was clear, she was making up for her lack of experience with speed and raw power. This became clear when she began to outspeed him, cutting various parts of his body while also defending.

"Inferno Magic: Scorching Impaler!"

Mary saw this coming a mile away, leaping back to avoid the black spikes emerging from his body to skewer her."Getting some distance, are we? I won't let up, though!"

Jumping in the air, Mary landed behind him, easily blocking a back kick from him with her forearm. Before he could retract his leg, she grabbed it tightly and began spinning him around, tossing him away as he rolled on the cold ground.

"Mirror Magic: Shower Rain of Hell!"

Countless mirror shards shot towards Raiden at speed even he wasn't able to see in time.

'Shit! I can't dodge!' He bit the inside of his cheek, quickly summoning his Grimoire in front of him.'I wanted to conserve my mana as much as possible, especially in this fight...but I have no choice.'

"Inferno Magic: God Hand!"

The giant fire hand blocked the shards, melting them before they could reach Raiden. During the explosion, Mary sneaked up behind Raiden, prepared to stab him in the neck with her shard. Predicting her move, Raiden twisted his arm behind him, blocking the attack with his blade just in the nick of time. This was part of Mary's plan, however, using this to grab his arm and twist it, keeping him in place.

"Scorching Impal-"

Before he could use his spell, Mary jumped him, delivering a double kick against his back that sent him stumbling forward uncontrollably before tripping over his feet.

"Good, good. You're a lot better than I remember. I'm a little surprised." Mary commented, licking her lips.

"Yeah? Well, I try." Raiden responded, getting back on his feet and rubbing his sore back. While Charmy had helped him regain his mana, he still sustained great injuries during his fight with Joseph.

"It's sad, though. No matter how much you struggle, you just can't win."

"Maybe so. But we don't know that for sure until the end of this fight."

"Oho. No, I already know." Mary condescendingly responded."It's a shame. You came here all this way just to die. So much for playing hero, eh?"

"I'm not a hero." Raiden narrowed his eyes."Never considered myself one. I'm just a person doing what's best for his loved ones. Nothing more, nothing less. I guess this is what you meant earlier about that little speech."

"It's not wrong to be selfish and do things for the ones you love, even though you're screwing other people over. Believe it or not, I also have people I loved."

"I don't doubt it." Raiden took a deep breath."Joseph told me the requirements to become an Alternate. Basically, you sacrifice someone very important to you, almost as if you're giving up a part of your very being to attain that sort of power. So even a mindless killer like you had someone close to you, huh?"

"Mindless killer? You wound me, Raiden." Mary placed a hand on her chest."I told you before I do the things I do for the same reason you do. I do it to accomplish my goal and to see the limit of humans. If you think I'm strong, you'll never be able to stop the birth of the Antichrist, son of God."

"Joseph said that his awakening is unstoppable. Almost as if destiny itself is playing a part in it."

"Oh?" Mary seemed impressed by his words."Good guess. Who knows? Maybe you'll be lucky and won't live through that event. Then again, I did promise Joseph I'd have him turn you into a puppet for his collection."

"Speaking of puppets...those of this Third Collection...are real? I mean, real people."

"So you pushed him to use his Third Collection? Impressive. Very impressive, Sunshine. Well, what do you think? Are they real people?"

"Their appearance looks similar to a human's. Hair, eyes, nails. The quality surpasses that of any master craftsman. Also...those Grimoires. They are real, no questions asked. So that means that the puppets themselves..."

"You do have one question left, remember?" Mary smirked at him."Why don't you ask away? I'm sure you're still looking for answers from that time."

"What is she talking about?" Gauche asked to no one in particular."Question?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Mary turned to the Black Bulls."Why do you think he disappeared that day? Why do you think I found him? What was he doing out there? Did he find Chris by mere coincidence? My, I didn't know he was hiding things from you, his friends, as well. Why don't you tell them, Raiden? Why you came to seek me out."

"What does she mean, Raiden?" Gauche voiced Grey's and Charmy's thoughts, albeit a little too aggressive."Is what she's saying true?"

"O-o-of course not!" Grey shook her head."She's just messing with our heads!"

"And yet..." Charmy frowned."We never heard the full story of what happened that day."

Raiden remained silent, his eyes filled with fury towards the madwoman in front of him.

"Inferno Magic: Blaze Control - Wings!"

Black flames formed behind Raiden's back, helping him take off into the air.

"Dodging the question?" Mary chuckled in amusement."Well, that's fine with me."

With a flap of his wings, Raiden shot a volley of inferno feathers towards her. She sprinted around, avoiding the attacks gracefully."So you can fly, big deal. You're just a target floating, waiting to be slaughtered! Mirror Magic: Mirror Spears!"

Spikes made of mirrors emerged from the ground, forcing Raiden to maneuver around in the air to about being pierced by one of them. However, their sheer numbers were beginning to box Raiden in, and one of the spikes graced his leg, stopping his moment. He quickly canceled his spell, avoiding two spikes that would have surely killed him if he remained in the air. He slid down to the ground, thrusting his blades into a spike to break the fall.

Mary, as she had claimed, was not letting him breathe even a second, and was already on top of him. This time, she was the one on the offensive, and Raiden was left barely defending himself from swift attacks.

"What's wrong? I'm nowhere near at full speed and you can barely keep up?" Mary delivered a knee to Raiden's chest, causing him to spit out blood. She rose her shards, going for the finishing blow but the amber-eyed teen leaped back before jumping forward with a double kick of his own, forcing Mary to take the full force of his kick. The woman cackled in delight despite her eyes indicating she had felt that attack.

"Damn it..." Raiden couldn't help but give a nervous smile."That should have done more damage than that!"

"See what I mean? You can't beat me."

"Like hell! Blaze Control - Black Swords!"

Raiden formed two giant swords of inferno, extending his inferno arms towards Mary in an attempt to strike her down. The First Child laughed like a little girl playing in the wilderness as she continuously dodge every attack with finesse. She jumped on top of the black sword, running at incredible speed towards Raiden and kicking him towards the wall, making a hole big enough for water to begin pouring into, flooding the cave to knee level.

Raiden got on all fours, looking at his reflection in the water while he panted for air."Crap...I'm running out of options here..."

"Are you finally starting to get winded?" Mary glanced down at the water."Come on. If you give up now, I'll just kill your friends, you know?"

"I'm not letting you do that!" Raiden shouted, forcing his body to stand up again before charging at Mary once more. Before he could get an attack in, Mary suddenly vanished."Huh? Where did she-?"

"Did you guys see that?" Charmy couldn't believe her eyes."It's like she just dove into the water."

"But that water is not that shallow..." Grey said, feeling the water with her hands.

"RAIDEN! THE REFLECTION!" Gauche suddenly shouted."Her real magic doesn't lie in mirrors but in the reflection!"

'Reflection?' Raiden glanced at the water, and his worse fear had come true. Mary's reflection was coming towards him, seemingly swimming in the water."What the hell? She can go inside reflections? Or is she doing that to confuse me? Whatever the case, I have to stop her now! Blaze Control - Black Arms!"

Two arms of inferno went to grab Mary, but only managed to touch the ground beneath them."That's her reflection? So she's inside the water?"

Mary leaped out of the water, slashing Raiden's right cheek before diving back down. She continued to leap around, cutting away at his body while debilitating him.

"How's that? I'm capable of entering the Mirror World, a place that you cannot enter through normal means. Even if you attack my reflection, it won't do you any good!"

"Then all I have to do is get rid of this damn water!" Raiden jumped in the air, forming two black wings on his back.

Rapid shards were fired at him from the water in an attempt to bring him back down. The Inferno magic user was doing his best in avoiding being shot down from the air, but the attacks came from everywhere.

"Cotton Creation Magic: Fluffy Sheep Cushion!"

Raiden turned back down to the ground to meet Charmy and Grey's gaze. Grey had transformed a giant rock into cotton for Charmy's sheep to carry and launch towards the hole in the wall, then transformed it back to a rock, stopping the water flow.

"Phew..." Charmy fell on her back in exhaustion."I only had enough magic for that..."

"Nice work you two," Gauche said, genuinely surprised that they pulled it off without issues.

"You guys!" Raiden exclaimed, happy to see his squadmates on their feet. Not wanting to waste this chance, he charged up his magic again and aimed at the ground."I'll have to use a great amount of mana. This has to work or I'll be in great trouble!"

"Got you now, Sunshine!" Mary was right in front of Raiden, going for a thrust with her shards. Raiden grabbed at the shards, ignoring the burning pain he felt, and headbutted Mary as hard as he could. He cupped his hands together and reeled back, slamming his fists on her torso and sending her crashing into the ground.

"Inferno Magic: GOD HAND!"

'Fuck, I can't go into the Mirror World unless I physically going inside a surface. I can't make it work if I'm in the water.' She spat out blood, feeling the pain of Raiden's fists at full strength."Mirror Magic: Impervious Reflection!"

A mirror appeared in front of Mary, absorbing the God Hand before firing it back.'This spell returns my opponent's attack twice as strong as it originally was! Let's see you survive this, Sunshine!"

"Asta, I'm going to borrow one of your moves!" Raiden announced, clasping his swords together. His inferno magic covered them together until they formed a bigger sword, mimicking Asta's Demon Slayer. With a battle cry, Raiden slammed the fuller of his new sword to return the attack using all his strength. Mary was too shocked to properly react, receiving the full blow of the attack that sent her several meters to the ground. Raiden continued pushing more, adding more magic power to his spell to make the hole even deeper. With the heat created by his flames, plus the hole, the water level began to decrease. Once he noticed that the water was either evaporated or inside the hole, he stopped. He sent a slash of inferno towards the ceiling, causing a cave-in that covered the hole from allowing the water to allow any reflections.

He landed back on the ground, panting on his knees for air."That...serves you right..."

"Serves me right?"

Raiden's eyes shot wide open upon hearing the all too familiar voice. Or voices. A dozen clones of Mary were hanging from the ceiling, surrounding Raiden like predators hunting down their prey.

"No way...how...?"

"What you got right now was one of my clones. I made them before you had that brilliant idea of draining the water." All the Marys echoed."So brutal. You were going to have me either die by your spell or drown down there. How cruel. A Magic Knight shouldn't be doing stuff like that. But..."

"You aren't a regular Magic Knight." Another Mary walked up to Raiden, her hips swaying with each step as she haughtily stared him down."Are you out of juice already? I know that for a commoner you have outstanding magic power and mana reserves, but that couldn't have been your all, right?"

Raiden growled but came out as a low grumble as he continue to wheeze for air.

On the sidelines, the other Black Bulls observed in horror at their defeated friend, concerned about his well-being.

Gauche assessed the situation, trying to think of the best course of action.'Grey can't do much with that twisted ankle, plus she used the mana she had restored along with Charmy on that last attack. I've regained a good amount of mine, but those blows from earlier left me in this state. Raiden was wounded before but now is on his last breath. He's been using his magic the whole fight and is now almost out of it. It won't be enough to beat those clones and Mary herself.'

He remembered Raiden's words from earlier, telling him to run when he saw the opportunity.'If we stay, we'll all die. If I can at least force my body to make a run for it with Grey and Charmy, we can probably find some of the others and get help. Hell, we could probably get the Captain, then we'll be good. And when this is all said and done, I can go see my beautiful angel Marie and hopefully bring her to Raquey to enjoy the beach. But...if I run now, he'll die...'

"You did well, Sunshine." The real Mary squatted in front of Raiden, caressing his cheek. The boy had no energy to flinch back, but mustered his disgust in his expression."You're everything I ever wanted in an opponent. You fought bravely and fiercely, trying to grasp victory with all you had. Normally, I hate prolonging things that excite me. I think they lose purpose and meaning the more they drag on. But you're such a great warrior that I'm considering inviting you to our ranks. What do you say?"

"Your ranks? Do you mean-"

"Become an Alternate, Raiden." Mary smiled darkly."Mother says that we children are chosen by destiny and that our last one will join eventually. We know who he is. But I could try to make an exception for you. You could rise in the ranks so quickly. Probably make it to become the Third or Second Child with your latent potential. You'll be spared of that weakness we call humanity. You'll be unstoppable, above mere humans. You'll see a new world when the Antichrist comes. And we can continue our fight. For all eternity. Forever. We'll grow stronger together, reaching new heights. It'll be so much fun. But for that to happen, you must pay a sacrifice."

"Sacrifice those closest to me." Raiden parroted what Joseph had told him.

"That's right. Maybe it'll be those friends you're trying too hard to protect, but are keeping things from them. Maybe your parents. Maybe you have a special girl waiting for you or something. One of them, any of them, will become a pillar of your evolution. But you must sacrifice. Give up your humanity and ascend-"

"You must be dumber than you look if you think I'll ever accept that." Raiden chuckled, raising his head to give her a defiant gaze."I'm a child of God. I follow His light and His will. My goal is to eradicate all evil from this world in His name. And part of that evil is standing right in front of him. So take your offer and stick it up your ass, you wretched butcher."

Instead of feeling insulted or surprised, Mary simply grinned from ear to ear."You really are something else. I knew you'd say that. You do look like a family type of guy. You wouldn't do that to them or your friends. Oh, well. I had to try, for formalities sake. Anyway, I'm afraid the only option for you is death, then. It's too bad. I still owe you a question. Anything you wanna ask?"

Raiden tried to stand up, using both his blades as support, and managed a bloody smirk."Fuck off. Do your worse, bitch. But you'll never...and I mean never...succeed."

Wordlessly, Mary focused her magic on her right left before going for a spiral kick, ready to tear Raiden apart. The boy ducked at the last second, surprising Mary enough for him to start clashing blades with her again. His strikes were faster, fiercer, but sloppier than before.

"So what is this, your second wind?" She kicked him in the gut, sending him crashing into another Mary as they began to push him around like a ragdoll."Or your dying gasp? We'll see."

Raiden tried to slash any Mary he found his way, but his attacks had no effect anymore. He felt every punch and cut vividly now, and was beginning to grow desperate.

"Scorching Impaler!" Raiden tried to gain some distance by creating spikes from his body, forcing a multitude of Mary to back away, but this allowed a fresh batch to jump in without breaks. He roundhouses kicked one of the Marys in the head, breaking her into pieces. In the tiny second between the glass falling on the ground and Raiden moving on, he saw a Mary behind him from a small reflection and another Mary coming from where the destroyed one had been. With a sidestep, not only did he avoid being stabbed in the head, but also managed to get another Mary killed and used his blades to cut off the attacking one. He eventually lost his grip on his blades and was sent flying towards a wall.

"Sayonara, Raiden." Mary grabbed a nearby shard from one of her copies, aiming at Raiden's head."It's been a bash." With a flick of her wrist, the shard was thrown at high speeds.

Before it landed on its target, a blast of light destroyed it, saving Raiden's life.

"What's with this sorry show, Raiden? Come on, get up." Gauche stood back up, his Grimoire out and about. Grey stood behind him, helping Charmy stand.

"Y-you idiots! What the hell are you doing it?!" Raiden screamed in both frustration and panic."She'll kill you! Stop gawking and get the hell out of here!"

"Like hell we'll do that, you bastard!" Gauche snapped back."Asta beat us both over the head with this, remember? We're squadmates and we don't abandon each other! Because of you, I have hope of seeing my sister again!"

"W-w-w-we were in d-d-deep trouble!" Grey stammered."But you saved us! It's only right to return the favor!"

"You eat everything I cook and then some." Charmy grinned playfully, though wincing due to her injuries acting up. Due to her size, the stabs she had suffered covered more areas in her body and had lost a lot of blood."Plus...you haven't properly introduced me to that friend of yours, La..."

"What we mean to say is..." Gauche, Grey, and Charmy shouted in unison."You're not fighting this alone! We got your back, no matter what!"

"I'm...not alone...?"


"Checkmate again. You lasted a bit longer than before. You have my sincerest congratulations, Raiden."

Sitting in a living room of a small brick house sat two young children, one young boy around ten years old and a petite young woman of around thirteen. While the boy sat on a wooden chair, the girl sat on a makeshift wheelchair with a cane on the side. The boy had short, messy raven hair and hazel eyes while the girl had lilac-colored hair and violet eyes, and a black beret on top of her head.

"Gagh!" Raiden cried to the heavens, his voice only muffled by the sounds of children playing outside. Since the door to the house was open, they could see a group of children with some younger ones playing baseball outside."No fair, Amber."

"And how pray tell, is that not fair?" She playfully teased him, grabbing at his king and waving it around."You're too reckless, I swear. I specifically chose chess because I thought it would help you think more critically. But all you've been doing is throw your pieces around for me to get them. Chess is a strategy game, not who kills who the fastest."

"I got a lot of your pawns, though..."

"And I got your horses, knights, queen, king, and one of your bishops. Not to mention your whole squad of pawns has been wiped out. I feel like you're treating this like it's part of your training."

"Well, I do train a lot for a good reason. Plus, your dad is merciless on me, always saying to keep my head on my blade. Besides, I can only attack, not defend. That's more of Johan's thing. I'm no good with strategies or making big decisions like that. I'm just..."

"Straightforward? Blunt?" She rubbed her chin in thought."Reckless. That's the word. Dummy, you can't protect people if all you do is attack and attack. Has my dad been teaching you that? I'll have to talk to him and make him sleep on the couch."

"Please, Amber. You'll embarrass me." Raiden whined, earning a giggle from his dear friend which then turned into full laughter from both of them. Once they settled down, Raiden began picking the board game up, neatly putting it back in its respective draw before gently pushing Amber's wheelchair to the porch.

"It sure is a beautiful day today, isn't it?" She marbled, a small smile plastered on her face.

"It sure is." Raiden agreed, settling down next to her and watching everyone play baseball.

"You should go play with them." Amber patted his head tenderly."I don't want you to miss out on a lot of fun because you're stuck taking care of me."

"I don't mind just watching." Raiden said, crossing his legs."Besides, it's too hot. I'd prefer to stay under the shade of your house if that's okay with you."

"Well...I certainly do not mind the company." Amber gave him a warm smile that would always make his heart flutter."But really, don't you get bored of playing board games with me?"

"It beats getting into fights all the time." Raiden shook his head."Aside from our usual baseball club, I don't get along with the other children. Even after I've gotten this strong, they still push me around like nothing. I have to grow stronger. But back to the matter at hand, no, I don't mind playing games with you. It's fun. All those strategy games might help me in the future. If I want to be a capable soldier I have to stop being too brazen about everything."

"It's okay to be brazen. It's what makes you special, in a way. If there weren't people like you and my sister, no one would ever take action. People Raiden, I think you only believe in doing things on your own."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for instance, you're always arguing with your fellow playmates because you break formation during your games. Also, you never accept help from anybody to do even the hardest of things. Not even me."

"I...I can do things by myself." He proclaimed."I have to be independent and agile. Besides, I don't see why to bring more people into a matter that I can solve by myself. During baseball, I try to steal the base because I know most kids can't bat as hard as I can. I'm practically carrying the team."

"See." Amber pointed at him with her cane."That right there is what I'm referring to. You can't always have that mentality, RaiRai."

Raiden groaned at the nickname, rolling his eyes. Ignoring his little tantrum, she forged on."People can't always do things on their own. It's not a weakness to depend on other people but a strength."

"What do you mean by strength?"

"For someone to accept that they need help means that they dared to admit it and ask. Take a look at this, for example." She used her cane to get some branches her fathered had piled up earlier for their chimney."One of these can be snapped by anyone, even by me. But when you grab a whole lot, then it becomes a challenge."

"I know what you're trying to say." Raiden nodded, hugging his knees."I know I can't always do things on my own. But...It's better that way."

"You don't do it on purpose, that much I know." She sighed, placing her cane on the side."You do it subconsciously. You try to carry that burden by yourself because you don't want others to carry it with you. You think that by becoming a soldier you'll be able to provide for your family and give a good life to your hard-working grandfather and loving grandmother as well as your cousin and aunt. Neither you nor Hazel have a dad, and your grandfather is beyond the age to enlist. So you're trying to be the one to do it so your cousin doesn't have to, right?"

Raiden didn't respond, but this seemed to please Amber."Annie is just like you, it's funny. She tries to act all tough, saying that she can take on the world alone. Just like you, she wants to become a soldier. It's not like she wants to follow in our father's footsteps. Dad always tells her to be something else, you know how he is. But she's so hellbent on going down that path because she, like you, believes that's the best solution to ensure a decent life. But she isn't invincible, and neither are you. I know you have trouble trusting other people."

"Can you blame me?" Raiden huffed, crossing his arms."Most of the jerks our age like to pick on you because of your condition."

"I'm sorry..." Amber deflated a little."I do not mean to cause you so much trouble. But the point I'm trying to make is that eventually, you'll be able to trust other people and share not only your burdens but also your happiness. Remember, along you are strong, but together you will be stronger."

"I see...yeah, I understand. Can't always try to do things alone because there will come a time when I'll fail. If that happens, I'll need people, good people, to have my back and soften the fall. You have a way with words, you know that, Amber?"

"I do try, RaiRai." She giggled once she saw his blush. The two of them stayed quiet for a while, enjoying watching the children play baseball and Johan having a great time with them and his dad.

"You're not a burden to me." Raiden found himself saying aloud after spending a good while thinking on how he would respond to that in his head."If anything, I think I'm the burden. You're so smart and intelligent. And you have so much more potential than me to be a greater fighter."

"Bond to this chair? Before, maybe. But ever since my condition got worse, I can't do half the things I used to do alone. I wanted to be a soldier too, so Annie wouldn't have to become one. Also...because I thought that maybe...I would have been able to..." She pursed her lips, shaking her head."I guess it was never meant to happen. And now, here I am, brooding. We used to have so much fun together with Johan. And now I can't even play with you guys anymore out in the sun without needing "special help" or a handicap. You could be out there enjoying yourself or doing other things instead of coming over and wasting your time with me. You even want to become a soldier so you can somehow cure me one day."

Raiden gasped upon realizing that she was crying quietly, trying her best to hold her tears. He immediately jumped, kneeling next to her and gently grabbing her hands, rubbing them with his soothingly."Hey, come on now, Amber. Don't cry. I'm fine, see? He gave her a big, wide smile."It's fine. Like I said, you're not a burden. You and Johan are my best friends forever. I don't mind helping you out. I know...it must be tough to live isolated and picked on. Perfectly well. But I can't imagine how it is not being able to fight back. My bullying doesn't even hold a candle to what you're going through. But like you said before, someone's burden isn't only theirs. It's their friends as well. So...it may sound like I'm taking pity on you, but even before you got sick, I wanted to be a good friend to you because you were good to me."

"Raiden...?" She breathed, enchanted by his words.

"If I hang out with you it's because I want to hang out with you. Not because I pity you, not because they're forcing me or anything like that. I genuinely think you're cool. So let me help you carry your burdens. I'll carry it as long as you need when you need a breather. If you feel sad and lonely, I'll be here so we can have fun and make you smile. Here's my promise to you..." Raiden got up from his position, hand to his chest."I promise I will do my best to work with other people when I need to and stop being so reckless. I'll become a great soldier so we can get you better medical attention. So that one day you'll be able to enjoy life like you used to. Together."

"You're so cheesy sometimes..." Amber slowly reached for his hands, a tender smile present on her face as she held back tears of joy."That sounds lovely. I'll be waiting for that day to come. So that we can have fun like we did before...together."


"Guess I haven't changed much. I'm still as reckless as I've always been." Raiden chuckled to himself, using the wall to support himself due to his legs feeling like jelly."I haven't fulfilled my promise...and I can't die just yet. Not before I return home..." His golden rosary had slipped out of his shirt and robe, hanging from his neck.

"Still willing to fight, huh?" Mary whistled in admiration."And you guys are willing to stick up for him? Even if he's holding information from you? Lying to you?"

"He's not lying!" Charmy responded, leaving no room for argument."Trust isn't as straightforward as you think."

"He'll tell us and be sincere to us when he feels like it." Gauche narrowed his eyes at the First Child."Until then, we'll wait for him and continue to be his friends. No matter what."

"Tch." Mary clicked her tongue."I should have killed you earlier. It seems like he gets stronger when people believe in him. I thank you for making this fight interesting, but it's time to die."

"Come on, Raiden!" Gauche hollered to his friend."This isn't our place to die! We've been through worse! So get your ass off the floor and stop acting like Grey!"

"H-hey!" Grey protested, completely flushed at his comment.

"Damn right." Raiden removed his robe, untying his bandana off his neck and kissing his rosary. He began to tie the bandana around his forehead, putting the hood of his sweatshirt on, obscuring the top part of his face."I've trained so hard all these years, with a clear goal in mind. But I won't be doing that alone. I have friends who will stand with him along the way. This is the only path I can walk on to get what I want. I have to change if I ever want to save Amber in this life. Compared to the shit I've been through this is nothing. Gauche...Grey...Charmy...if I can't beat this abomination here and now, how will I ever be able to face those monsters again?!"

"Here he comes," Mary commanded her clones to surround her, making a human wall. A second number 6 was printed on her palm as markings appeared around her body."His mana is increasing again...what's going on? I can't take him lightly."

Gauche focused his magic eye on Raiden."Mirror Magic: Mirrors Brigade!"

Countless clones of Raiden appeared, brandishing their blades at the Marys."Now, GO!"

The clones charged toward the Marys, beginning a chaotic exchange of strikes with each other. The real Mary's eyes widened when she noticed Raiden jumping in the air, throwing his swords at her specifically."Why me? He shouldn't be able to tell us apart!"

She used her mirror Shards to hit the blades, changing their trajectory at the last second. Raiden headed towards her, his kicks meeting her forearms with enough force to send her skidding a few meters.

Mary felt two sharp things slash her sides not too deeply. Glancing down, she noticed Raiden had connected his blades with inferno, pulling them back with his magic. He rushed towards Mary, his eyes hidden by the shadows created by his hood. Once they met in the middle of the skirmish, they both began a furious battle with their respective weapons. Raiden's strikes were stronger than ever, and their speed had increased as well, forcing Mary to be on her toes while they attempted to block.

"You're nothing." Raiden met her knee with his own before elbowing her, only to be blocked by her forearm."You're nothing. YOU'RE NOTHING!"

Raiden swept her feet, causing her to lose balance and fall. She broke her fall with her arms, taking advantage of her position to double kick Raiden but he was faster, sidestepping before kicking her away with his attack. Mary started backflipping to gain some distance, activating her spell."Mirror Magic: Final Bound Prison!"

Human-size mirrors surrounded Raiden while Mary jumped from one to another, increasing her speed more and more.'I don't know where he got this much power from. He wasn't this strong mere moments ago. Was he holding back his real power until now? It doesn't matter, I guess. I'll have to cut him down now.'

Mary waiting for her opportunity. Once she was certain he couldn't keep up with her speed, she leaped into the air, carrying a larger shard with both her hands as she dove down.'Now...NOW!'

However, much to her shock, Raiden dodged at the last second, and taking advantage of her stunned state, he punched her straight in the face followed by a punch of inferno to her gut, sending her crashing towards a few of her clones, breaking them.

"Charmy! Gauche addressed the shortest member of their squad. She quickly created a Fluffy Sheep Cushion, launching Gauche in the air."Mirror Magic: Real Double! Raiden!"

"Got it!" The Raidens jumped in the air, each of them aiming at the mirrors that the Gauches had manifested."Combo Spell:..."

"Hellzone Black Gatling!" Gauche and Raiden shouted as their spells combined. Gauche mixed his Double Reflect Refrain with Raiden's God Hands, creating many fists of light with black flames spiraling around them. The punches began raining down on the Marys, breaking them apart without giving them a chance to escape.

"Shit...!" The real Mary backflipped in an attempt to get away from the firing area."But you used mirrors again and I have a reflection. Big mistake!"

However, much to her disgrace, she couldn't control Gauche's mirrors no matter how hard she tried."What...? Why? Could it because...don't tell me I can't access mirrors that are not reflecting any light!"

In effect, Gauche's mirrors were covered in black flames, not leaving any room for light to escape. The remaining Marys followed the real one's example, running to the far end of the area. Gauche gasped, releasing his spell once he hit his limit again. Their combined spells stopped and the Raiden clones disappeared, but not before one of them grabbed onto Gauche in the air.

"I ran out of mana again...sorry, Raiden. But-"

"That's fine!" The clone said, tossing Gauche back to where Charmy was."We have a plan!"

Saying those final words, the clone disappeared, leaving only Raiden left in battle. Raiden sprawled his Black Wings, flying over the Marys.

"You...to think you're this strong." Mary seemed a little unnerved."I knew you get stronger when fighting for your friends, but this is ridiculous. You were certainly beaten. And this aura...so calm and serene, yet fierce and full of authority. You have to be a devil. Why else would you ask about the five-leaf grimoire? And it could explain everything about you. Why hide your face now?!"

"You're wrong!" Raiden bellowed, his Grimoire beginning to shine."I will exterminate all evil, including devils and alternates from this world. You wanted to see me at full power, you've got me! But this isn't only because of me. My friends are here with me, to help me carry that burden!"

His Grimoire turned to an empty page, writing a new spell on it. Raiden glanced down at it and knew this was it. He had enough magic for this attack and that would be it."For everything you've done, you can go to hell! Inferno Magic: Serpent to Dragon Crusade!"

A total of ten fire serpents emerged from his Grimoire, each of them with a humongous size and length, diving straight for Mary and her clones. The snakes devoured the clones, converging closer together until they combined into a single one, reminiscing like a dragon.

Mary had no way out. The spell covered too much ground and there weren't any mirrors for her to use. She couldn't deflect it with her spell. All she could do was grin maniacally as she cackled, feeling the overwhelming impact of the spell. The dragon continued breaking through walls before it dissipated once Raiden's strength ran out, leaving a trail of inferno behind.

"That's...that's it..." Raiden's Black Wings vanished, causing him to free fall to the ground. Fortunately, Charmy used her remaining magic to create a cloud of cotton to break his fall, taking him where they were.

"You did it!" Grey beamed, engulfing him in a hug.

"La..." Charmy breathed in relief."Hell of a fight, huh, Gauche?"

"Yeah..." Gauche groaned, laying on the ground next to Raiden."Forcing my body to move despite my injuries... is starting to take its toll on me."

"But had you guys not backed me up in the last second, we would have died." Raiden pointed out, sprawled on the floor."I didn't do it. We did it together. We helped each other out until the very end, like a team. Even you, Grey. You did well."

"Do you think...you killed her?" Charmy asked, somewhat afraid to know.

"I hit her with all I had before she could transform into that monster form of hers." Raiden closed his eyes."But...yeah. I killed her. Sorry. She wasn't wrong about most of the things she said. I killed someone before."

"But you did it for your friend." Gauche said."Amber, right? That's her name?"

"How did it happen?" Grey timidly asked."O-of course, if you're okay with telling us..."

"Well...her life was being threatened by one of the scummiest people on this planet. Nasty guy, that one. I did it because at the time it was the only thing I could do to protect her. You see, she has a weak heart. And people took advantage of that to get her for ransom. It's a complicated story, but the gist of it is that either I killed the guy holding her or..."

"You don't need to say anymore." Gauche looked at him with sympathy."Like I said before, if I were in your shoes, I would have done the same."

"Yeah, that woman was lying then." Charmy nodded, a smile on her face."No way you're anything like her. You didn't take pleasure in killing that man, right?"

"No." Raiden ran a hand through his hair."I think about it every day. It's...hard. It was hard the first few years to accept it. It changes you, even if you think it's for the better. Even now, sometimes I see my hands stained with blood."

Grey noticed Raiden's eyes beginning to water, but before she could comment on it, Gauche got ahead of her."So...Amber has a weak heart? What does that mean?"

"She was born with an illness called congenital heart disease. She didn't develop the same way the girls around her did. She was shorter and skinnier, but honestly, she was probably the smartest girl I've ever met. She was able to attend school and do most activities normally. Her dream was to become a...Magic Knight. Her magic was superior to mine when it came to attacks."

"Huh? No way." Gauche sat up, forggeting about his pain."You're telling me she had better magic than you? What is it?"

"Graphene Magic. Said that one day it could develop to be able to bypass most spells with its sheer power. You know that thing I do with my Inferno, when I cut other people's spells? But unfortunately, her condition worsened, so she had to use a wheelchair and a cane when possible. She...couldn't fulfill her dream, and kids back then were cruel, making her life a living hell. I always stood up for her with Johan, but it got to her. Bad. We continued praying to God to help her, but I knew I had to do something about it. That's why I became a Magic Knight. So I can support my family and give her the best medical attention she can get."

"What about her family? Can't they look after her?" Gauche asked, earning a frown from Raiden.

"Unfortunately, her parents died five years ago from an accident. I don't know the details. So the only ones left are Amber and her sister, Annie. My grandma let them in our home, so they're living together with them and my aunt and cousin. I send all the money I get to them so I can give them a comfortable life. It's hard, but honestly, I'm happy as long as they're happy."

"I see." Gauche nodded in understanding."Makes sense why you're so hellbent on the whole eradicating evil from the world thing. You want the world to be good for her and your family, right?"

"Yeah. And I promised this rosary that she gifted me that I will do it." Raiden pulled out his golden rosary from underneath his shirt."I miss her. So damn much. Sometimes it gets to me and it makes me think that the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I know it sounds silly but-"

"It's not silly!" Grey cut him off, pouting."It's okay to feel sad and miss your family. Any normal person would feel the same way. Why don't you go visit them after this mission? I'm sure they'd be happy to see you."

"Grey..." Raiden blinked in surprise."Look at you. You've been talking in full sentences today when you were a stuttering mess when we first saw your real face. And what, does Charmy know too?"

"I...I guess the whole situation has my nerves out of control." The blue-haired girl meekly covered her cheeks."And I can't transform into anyone, so..."

"I was really surprised to learn she's older than me!" Charmy patted her on the back."She's so cute too! You should show everyone what you look like."

"N-n-no!" She stammered in embarrassment."I'll die!"

"But...I can't go home just yet." Raiden gave a sad smile."I'm not ready to face them yet. There's a lot I need to do before I can see them again. Who knows...maybe I can introduce you."

"Sounds nice." Grey and Charmy nodded in agreement.

"Say, what are you going to do about that girl you saved? I'm not going to ask you to tell me what happened when you found her, not unless you want to. But..."

Raiden turned to Gauche."A friend of mine is trying to get her settled in that church your sister lives in. Maybe they could become friends."

"Sounds good. Maybe we can bring them to the beach after we're done with this. I'd say we deserve a day off after everything, right?"

"You've said it." Raiden grinned, sitting up with great difficulty. His whole body ached and was dizzy due to all the blood he had lost."But honestly...I'll tell you the Mary situation soon. But I'm not like her."

"We know. Don't worry."

The group shared a laugh at Grey's embarrassment, but she soon joined in as well as they enjoyed the moment of peace they've earned."Hey, Raiden. I don't know if this is a good time to ask but...what did you do?"

"Yeah, all of a sudden you went crazy and started dominating." Charmy nodded."What kind of trick did you use?"

"I...It was just my full power." Raiden responded, rubbing his arm.

"What? You were telling me you were hiding that much power?" Gauche skeptically asked."No way you're that strong. So you're telling me you've been holding back? Even that time in Nean."

"It's not something I can just do, you know." Raiden scratched his head, sighing."Call it good gracing me with his enlightenment."

"Why cover your face?" Charmy inquired, causing Raiden to tense up.

"What is this, an interrogation? I just thought I'd look cool." Raiden huffed in annoyance."Didn't I? With all those one-liners I was giving? Amber used to tell me they were cheesy and corny, but I think they're not that bad."

"But what-"

A blood-curling scream caused them to freeze in shock. Turning to the sound of the screams, they watched a black portal with red, boney arms coming out of it, trying to grab a heavily wounded Mary. The portal itself looked as if someone had grabbed a piece of hell itself and used it to make a carpet. She was missing a right arm, the left side of her face burnt beyond recognition and her eyes had burnt off their sockets, leaving two gaping holes.

"It can't be...she's alive..." Gauche gasped, horrified at what he was seeing.

Raiden gritted his teeth, watching in terror as screams echoed from inside the portal alongside Mary's cackles.

"Get me if you want, fuckers! I'm not dying today! Not until I get HIM!" She pointed in their direction."RAIDEN! RAIDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!"

As she yelled his name, her brand began to cover her whole body, regenerating rapidly while her body morphed into her second stage. Once her transformation was complete, Mary opened her regenerated eyes with the "I" symbol carved in them. The portal dragging her down closed back up, silencing the eternal screams of whatever was inside it.

Mary screeched, vomiting blood and growing shards along her body, sprawling two sets of wings and horns.

"W-w-w-w-what is that?!" Grey voiced their reaction, seeing as it was her first time seeing a transformed Child of Sceva.

"She's a monster..." Charmy was petrified, unable to move both in fear and her wounds.

"Her mana and magic power just skyrocketed." Gauche bit his lower lip."She's out of this world. We can't take her on."

'They almost got me.' Mary thought to herself, examining her fully healed body.'I wasn't expecting an attack like that. Raiden's spell was indeed the one that did me in, but their coordination was superb. I can't underestimate the Black Bulls anymore. But now for sure, they'll die. Huh?'

Raiden used his blades as support, using every ounce of strength he had to not pass out on the spot and to get back on his feet, his body begging and screaming to rest but he said no.

"Raiden! What are you-"

"If there's one thing that's special about me...and that defines me. It's my fucking perseverance." Raiden declared, taking wobbly steps forward, hitting his head."I'm sorry...I have no choice...if I don't, I'll die. I refuse to die here! I will absolutely not die!"

Mary gave him a sardonic smirk, showing her razor-sharp teeth before lunging at him with a snarl.

"RAIDEN!" All his squadmates yelled.

Raiden closed his eyes, his Grimoire beginning to shine while flipping through its pages. But the attack never came. In fact, Mary had stopped in mid-air. She gaped, her eyes widening as if in shock. She turned to the Black Bulls then back to the ceiling. With a frustrated howl, she took off into the air into a hole in the wall.

The hazel-eyed teen was dumbfounded."She...left?"

"She must have sensed something." Gauche guessed, sighing in relief."But yeah...she's gone. And is getting further and further away from here."

"Could she be going to where the others are fighting?" Charmy asked, worried for her friends' safety."If so, we have to go help!"

"We're in no condition to move right now." Gauche shook his head."Besides, she went North. I can feel another monstrous mana west from here. Whatever got her to leave, it was nothing short of a miracle."

"Phew..." Grey grabbed her poor heart, trying to not have a heart attack due to the fear she had just endured."R-Raiden... you can relax now, right?"

Raiden said nothing, dropping his swords to the ground with a goofy smile.'Seems like I live another day. And I will continue living...until I fulfill my promise to you, Amber...'

A loud thud earned their attention, quickly noticed Raiden had passed out on the ground.


There will be more instances in the story when we'll see more of Raiden's past, but I also plan on writing a prequel to this story to explore his background properly and what his life was like. I was originally planning to add it to this story but the more I thought of Raiden as a character I realized that a few chapters wouldn't do him or other characters involved with him justice. So further down the line, I'll let you guys know when the prequel will begin, so look forward to it and I hope it's to your liking.